With infants, treating pressure pains in the sinus cavities or congestion requires careful, delicate treatment. The adult caretaker's inability to verbally communicate with an infant along with the challenges of treating the underlying causes of the condition directly impede the caretakers' ability to render such treatment. It is generally accepted that infants (which for purposes of this discussion include children of about three years old and younger) who suffer with head congestion sleep more comfortably when their heads are slightly elevated from the traditional horizontal, flat sleeping position characteristic of that of the traditional baby crib.
An infant's exposure to some foreign particles may trigger allergies, a cold or flu, all of which may lead to the infant developing an upper respiratory infection. When this occurs, an infant's immune system which initially is weak and becomes stronger as the infant grows over time is attacked. Use of conventional medications in these situations, however, is not desirable since use of the medications may likely cause harmful side effects for the infants.
Allergies, which may be triggered by exposure to environmental substances such as pollens and/or chemical irritants, and infectious viruses or bacteria, may ultimately lead to sinusitis in infants. Sinusitis is defined to be the inflammation of the mucus membranes of one or more of the sinuses which are the air spaces located in the bone cavities that surround the nose, and is one of the most common respiratory ailments. When an infection causes inflammation and swelling of the mucus membranes in the nose, the swollen membranes block the sinus openings and prevent the mucus that is produced by the mucus membranes from draining. Once the mucus drainage becomes blocked, the area in which allergens, bacteria and/or viruses trapped in the sinuses can grow. Some of the most common symptoms of sinusitis include congestion, pressure pains and discomfort around the affected area, sore throat, headache, cough, and fever. Unfortunately, infants who develop these symptoms may experience choking, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
While an infant who is suffering with a cold or flu is sleeping, mucus drains down his/her throat and into the stomach. If enough mucus accumulates in the stomach, it can cause the child to gag and eventually vomit. As such, the infant is in much discomfort due to the post nasal drip, coughing, nausea, vomiting, and sleeplessness. In addition to attending to the infant, the adult caretaker must also maintain sanitary conditions by bathing the infant as needed, changing crib sheets, disinfecting the crib, and the like.
As previously suggested, infants who suffer with head congestion sleep more comfortably when their heads are slightly elevated from the traditional horizontal, flat sleeping position characteristic of that of the traditional baby crib. In this regard, the prior art offers devices that may be used to insert directly under the crib mattress. This may not be desirable, however, as the tight fit of crib mattresses within the structure of the crib may make it difficult to place the device under the mattress, considering that the position of the device may shift during use, and that such use may create a safety hazard of gaps along the sides of the crib wherein the infant may become trapped. hi other instances, there exists prior art that seeks to achieve an elevated head position by way of means used to adjust the spring bottom of cribs. These systems and methods however do not provide adequate stability particularly in light of current safety standards for baby cribs.
Accordingly, there is a need to develop a means to adjust an infant crib in a safe, reliable, and effective manner. The present invention is designed to address these needs.